PORK$HOP Seminar,TiMEsavr renewal time, new website, disabled by Norton "friendly fire"
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 FarmSMART                                                        April 2011 

In this Issue:

PORK$HOP Seminar
TiMEsavr Renewal Time
New Website
Disabled by Norton "Friendly Fire"

 

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Greetings! 

May pond

It's Spring!  While you're waiting for your fields to dry, mark your calendars for the first big training event of the year: PORK$HOP.  And check your mail for yourTiMEsavr package.  But beware of collateral damage from your virus protection software!

 

Most of all remember that when you have a front-row seat on exceptional weather, enjoy the ride!  This pastoral photo was taken on May 13th, 2010.  The corn was all planted so what could be more relaxing and rewarding than to boat and fish on this inviting farm pond.  Except it was the corn field!  It's all a matter of perspective.

                                                               SDG

PORK$HOP.2011 Seminar Spotlights Margin Management 
PORK$HOP 2010 Classroom

 

Question:  What do you do now that the "sky's the limit" for hog prices yet your feed floor is also heaving up violently?

Answer:
  You've got to make
margin management your #1 priority.  

 
The 1
9th Annual PORK$HOP seminar, sponsored by CPA firm Latta, Harris, Hanon & Penningroth, LLP and FBS Systems, Inc.,willassist you in this daunting task by assembling our favorite experts in economics and market trends, accounting, risk management, finance, and information technology to provide a concise, coordinated overview of the costs, risks and opportunities facing pork producers who strive to thrive in the next decade.

Computer Practices for Measuring and Projecting Margins

The seminar kicks off with an "early bird" session covering how to use FBS integrated production/accounting/budgeting software to increase the accuracy and timeliness of cost of production and margin analysis.  In addition, "best practices" from FBS pork clients will be shared as well as an overview of new versions and options. 

 
Costs, Competitiveness and Sustainability
 

John Benchmarks
John McNutt, consultant with Latta, Harris, Hanon & Penningroth LLP

Mark Penningroth, CPA andJohn McNutt, MBA, from the Latta, Harris, Hanon and Penningroth CPA and Consulting firm will begin the first general session by unveiling the LHHP 2010 Cost of Production and Comparative BenchmarksComposed of over 40 farms, this database breaks down every phase of production and cost category, allowing participants to see the effects of feed, energy, labor, genetics, facility and vet costs over seven years.  This year the LHHP analysis will also review the competitiveness and sustainability of some common pork business models.

 

 

Economics and Market Trends

Michael Swanson
Michael Swanson, Wells Fargo Bank

 

 

 Following lunch,Michael Swanson, Vice President and Agricultural Economist for Wells Fargo Bank, will present the keynote address, "Demand Drivers for Pork; Cost Drivers for Feed." 

 

 

Swanson will answer these timely questions:

  • What's the impact of switching demand from domestic to export markets?
  • What's the outlook for feed costs?
  • Land:  time to buy or time to sell?

Practical Application of Risk Management

The concluding panel discussion, "Managing the Margin," will provide practical examples of how producers can apply hog and feed price risk management to their own operations.  

David Ward, Senior Risk Manager with Commodity and Ingredient Hedging will demonstrate how the CIH web-based platform provides an interactive decisions support system to evaluate risks and opportunities as well as monitor margins.  CIH client, Adam Hockerof Brenneman Pork, will describe how his firm manages price and feed risks.  Kent Bang, Regional Vice President of Bank of the West will offer a lender's perspective on risk management in 2011.

 

Kent Bank
Kent Bang, Bank of the West

Please join us and other pork industry leaders for this unique, timely, invitation-only event one day prior to and  just 90 miles east of the site of the World Pork Expo. 

For more information or to register, click here or call 800-437-7638 / Extension 1.

It's TiMEsavr Renewal Time

  

Version 10 Home Screen
TiMEsavr packages will contain both versions 10 (shown) and 8.11.

 Within the next couple of weeks FBS users will receive packages containing Version 8.11 / 10 upgrades as well as invoices for the 2011-2012 TiMEsavr service agreement renewal. The upgrade CD includes cumulative changes made to the current Visual Basic platform as well as the long-awaited .NET version. 

 When TiMEsavr was first introduced 14 year ago, FBS was still running in DOS, most farmers accessed the Internet via dial-up connections (probably through AOL on a Windows 95 computer) and the upstart Google site was "only" linked to 25 million pages. 

 Today the FBS website delivers real-time software updates directly to clients' computers, and many FBS users subscribe to the AgCompass hosted service so don't even need to install upgrades. While our support is still personal it's often accompanied with a video link via SupportSmith or Remote Desktop.

 The once-a-year TiMEsavr payment covers technical support and software upgrades/updates for an entire year. Because we offer five different service plans we encourage you to compare benefits and costs so that all facets of FBS Integrated SeRVware meet your expectations and budget. Click on this link for the support plans.

Thanks to your continued loyalty and feedback we're beginning our 14th season of the TiMEsavr service and our 32nd year of providing software, training and support to agriculture's elite.
 

Visited Our New Website Yet?
FBS Systems Home PageThere's a wealth of timely information waiting your inspection at our new website. Check them out now by clicking on the image or any of the links below.

To start your tour, click on the image above. 

Leave comments or suggestions regarding our website.

Q&A of the Month--"Friendly Fire" by Norton Disables FBS

 Q.  My Norton Internet Security quarantined some of my FBS files when I scanned my computer, and now I get a Runtime 53 error when I select certain FBS modules.  Is my FBS software infected with a virus?  How do I fix the problem so I can run FBS? 

 A.  Several users have experienced an issue with their security software quarantining FBS files.  It seems that recent updates toNorton Internet Security, Norton 360 and other virus protection programs are looking for files with similar naming formats to the FBS program files.  While FBS itself is not infected, but there is a known virus that is named or mimics FBS and other programs, so to err on the side of caution the security software programs are quarantining these files. 

Sarah Dixon, FBS Tech Services Manager
Sarah Dixon, FBS Technical Services Manager

The fix for this issue will vary depending on the version of security software system installed; therefore, we can't provide specific help in this process.  However, the general goal is to exclude the FBSWIN program file folder from future security scans.  If you don't know how to do this, call your security software's customer support line for assistance.  Once the FBS program files are excluded from the virus scan they will need to be repaired.  Insert the latest FBS CD, and run it like you would to install your yearly upgrades.  This will replace any files that were quarantined and removed during the scan.  Once that is done FBS should be up and running!

May Webinar ScheduleWebinar Screen

Overview of Versions 8.11/10.0, May 2nd.
DTN Interface and Hedging, May 9th.

Smart Feeder Reports, May 16th.

Crop Records, May 23rd.

To register, e-mail support@fbssystems.com by 9:00 am CDT on the day of the webinar.


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